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Meaning: In the third or deep sleep state, the need or desire for any object of external experience has been lost. Essentially, it is a state of dreamless sleep or undifferentiated consciousness. At the same time, those who are in this state experience bliss, and have also achieved a condition in which there is a clearer understanding of the two states of sleep that have preceded it.
Meaning: In the third or deep sleep state, the need or desire for any object of external experience has been lost. Essentially, it is a state of dreamless sleep or undifferentiated consciousness. At the same time, those who are in this state experience bliss, and have also achieved a condition in which there is a clearer understanding of the two states of sleep that have preceded it.
(Yoga Nidra is different from Sleep, Dream State and Samadhi. It is perhaps more appropriately thought of as a valuable stepping stone on the path to Samadhi.)
== The Practice of Yoga Nidra ==
== The Practice of Yoga Nidra ==
Lying comfortably extended arms and legs, this is Shavasana. It removes all kinds of fatigue due to the practice of different asanas.
Lying comfortably extended arms and legs, this is Shavasana. It removes all kinds of fatigue due to the practice of different asanas.
Yoga Nidra practice involves a specific set of steps, initially quite deliberate, but becoming more natural and automatic with time and experience [16]. These steps involve
* preparation for the practice
* presentation of one’s self of a personal resolution or commitment to later action (Sankalpa)
* directing of awareness to various body parts
* breath awareness
* recall of various feelings and sensations, mental visualization, a restatement of the personal resolution or Sankalpa
* ending of the practice session.
=== Step 1: Shavasana ===
Before initiating the mental steps that are required to enter into the conscious sleep state of yoga nidra, the practitioner adopts the classic Shavasana or “corpse pose”.
This posture, one of the most important in yoga practice, includes turning the palms upward and preventing contact between the limbs of the body. This minimizes the sensation of touch, and is considered to be a key preparatory stage for relaxing the body and inducing quiescence in the mind. It is also required that practitioners refrain from making any bodily movements and remain awake and aware of all instructions delivered. Lying supine with the eyes closed, the practitioner spreads his arms and legs (to about 45◦), and breathes deeply.
=== Step 2: Sankalpa ===
The next stage of the yoga nidra technique is for the practitioner to mentally affirm to himself a personal resolution, a “Sankalpa”, which should be short, clear, and positive (i.e., usually dedicated to some goal of self-realization or improvement). The goal could be quite profound or something as basic as overcoming a personal habit. The practitioner should mentally repeat the chosen Sankalpa three times with complete determination. The state of mental dissociation that this resolution produces is expressed in what yoga nidra masters refer to as passivity. In this passive state, there is a separation of the self from the experiences that would normally be emotionally arousing. Under these conditions, the autosuggested resolution is absorbed more quickly into the unconscious.
=== Step 3: Mental Visualization ===
In the third stage, the practitioner’s mental visualization is shifted among different body locations in a systematic and organized manner. The sequencing of this mental awareness proceeds in defined steps:
* The practitioner starts with the right side of the body, with awareness first being directed at the right-hand thumb and then ending with the little toe of the right foot;
* awareness is then directed at the left side of the body, and the sequence is repeated, i.e., from the digits of the left hand to the digits of the left foot;
* next, awareness is directed toward the back of the body, progressing from the heels to the back of the head;
* and, finally, the sequence is repeated for the front of the body, from the forehead and the individual facial features to the legs.
It has been suggested that this overall exercise might in itself be an effective means of establishing relevant motor skill learning. This further enhances the value of the process as the student of yoga nidra advances to the later and deeper stages of practice.
=== Step 4: Breath Awareness ===
In the breath awareness stage, several techniques are employed simultaneously to enable the practitioner to focus on the natural breathing process without attempting to induce any changes in its flow. Visualization is very important for the mastery of this. The yoga nidra student is instructed to visualize the breath flowing in and out of the nostrils, the chest, and abdomen, as well as between the navel and the throat. Additionally, the student is asked to mentally count each incoming and outgoing flow of the breath.
=== Step 5: Recalling Experiences and Sensations ===
In this stage, the student is instructed to recall physical or emotional experiences and their associated sensations, but to do so with an increased vividness, so that the impact can be made to the maximum extent. Various examples of this process include experiencing opposite feelings or sensations such as heaviness and lightness, heat and cold, pain and pleasure, and so forth.
=== Step 6: Visualization in Chidakasha ===
Visualization is again a central process in the next stage of practice. The student is instructed to direct the awareness toward the dark space in front of the closed eyes, the area being referred to in yogic terminology as Chidākāsha (internally visualized as being centered just behind the forehead). The yoga nidra practitioner then is asked to visualize various scenes or situations in the Chidākāsha.
=== Step 7: Repetition of the Sankalpa ===
The Sankalpa, as described in stage two, is again mentally repeated by the student three times “with full dedication, faith, and optimism”.
=== Step 8: Gradual Outward Redirection of Awareness ===
Just prior to terminating the yoga nidra session, the mental focus is slowly directed toward external sounds, objects, and persons. The practitioner gradually becomes aware of his body and surroundings, and turns to his right side but remains lying down for a few minutes more. Each body part is slowly moved and the body is stretched. Gradually the practitioner sits up, and whenever he feels comfortable, slowly opens his eyes.
== Yoga Nidra - A Form of Pratyahara ==
== Yoga Nidra - A Form of Pratyahara ==
Yoga Nidra is usually practiced for about 30 min to an hour at a time. During the deepest part of the state, which is considered qualitatively different from ordinary waking consciousness, practitioners are thought to be re-aligned with the most spiritual part of their inner nature. Practitioners of yoga nidra claim, however, that it is not a substitute for sleep, but that its benefits go far beyond that of relaxation. It is further claimed that 1 h of yoga nidra practice equates to about 4 h of sleep [15]. This has led to the suggestion that yoga nidra is a “third mental state”, related to both sleep and relaxation, but still possessing properties that make it unique. It is asserted that yoga nidra is qualitatively different from normal relaxation inasmuch as many of the ongoing mental preoccupations of daily life are thrown off, even though awareness of the environment remains intact. Additionally, however, it is thought that yoga nidra is also different from sleep, since in ordinary sleep, one’s mental tensions cannot always be resolved. It is claimed further that with time, the practice can produce a major transformation of the self, one that extends to the promotion of physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.
Yoga Nidra is usually practiced for about 30 min to an hour at a time. During the deepest part of the state, which is considered qualitatively different from ordinary waking consciousness, practitioners are thought to be re-aligned with the most spiritual part of their inner nature. Practitioners of yoga nidra claim, however, that it is not a substitute for sleep, but that its benefits go far beyond that of relaxation. It is further claimed that 1 h of yoga nidra practice equates to about 4 h of sleep [15]. This has led to the suggestion that yoga nidra is a “third mental state”, related to both sleep and relaxation, but still possessing properties that make it unique. It is asserted that yoga nidra is qualitatively different from normal relaxation inasmuch as many of the ongoing mental preoccupations of daily life are thrown off, even though awareness of the environment remains intact. Additionally, however, it is thought that yoga nidra is also different from sleep, since in ordinary sleep, one’s mental tensions cannot always be resolved. It is claimed further that with time, the practice can produce a major transformation of the self, one that extends to the promotion of physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.
== Scientific Studies on Yoga Nidra ==
Scientific studies have investigated the effects of the Yoga Nidra practice on numerous neurological, neurocognitive, and psychological disorders, as well as its systemic physical effects.
Ref: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359730732_The_Origin_and_Clinical_Relevance_of_Yoga_Nidra
Ref: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359730732_The_Origin_and_Clinical_Relevance_of_Yoga_Nidra